I'm a Dunce

I posted a recipe in October and went on and on about how wonderful it was, but now, due to an uncanny turn of events, it has been brought to my attention that I forgot to list one of the ingredients. So, if you made the cake and it was literally a flop, then I question our friendship because you were afraid to tell me that my cake stunk. If you haven't made it yet, then that's the last time I'll offer you my advice because you obviously don't take it seriously. Just kidding! Just make a note of it if you copied the recipe down already, and I will go change it on my blog. What's the missing ingredient? 1 tsp. of vinegar. Strange, I know, but probably crucial to the success of such a simple recipe. Please don't doubt my baking skills, just my copying skills.

Like a good friend once said, "I'm sorry. I delivered my brain cells while giving birth."

Party Planner

Sam seems to have inherited my zest for party planning. Or he is just like most of the other 4-year-olds I know who talk about their birthday parties for months beforehand. Whatever it is, he is planning his 5th birthday party with a passion today. I actually feel a little exhausted just listening to him. The themes so far have been: Bad Guys (wonder what the other moms will think of that), Batman (boring, been done by all the 5 year olds this year, it seems), Jesus Story (that could actually be very creative, but it has a little gag factor with him being a pastor's kid and all), Legos (okay, that was my idea, but I could make a really cute cake...), and now he seems to have landed on Pirates. Here's an actual conversation we had.

Me: Who are you going to invite to your party?
Sam: (Lists friends)
Me: Are you going to invite any girls?
Sam: No, just GUYS. (thinks for a minute) But it's okay, Mom, you can come. (thinks for another minute) Well, maybe we can invite one girl for trapping.

I'm sorry if I am raising a male chauvinist...I was imagining his friends Zoe or Emerald coming dressed as pirate princesses, but I guess all they're good for is trapping. I'm not even sure what that means. Upon thinking further, I hope it means that the pirates would rescue her, but I can't be sure...


So it looks like it might be a pirate party for real. I am always bummed that his birthday is in the winter because we can't invite as many people due to the size of our living room. I guess now that he's older, we can just invite the boys he wants to...I used to plan for the moms and younger siblings to be here, too, but I think those days are over. Now the I guess moms just drop their kids off and come back after a couple of hours. I took Sam to a party this summer and stayed and then realized that I probably shouldn't have (especially since I was pregnant and wanted to eat a whole pizza by myself and was sending telepathic messages to the hostess in hopes that she would offer me some cake and ice cream). I used to think I was so good at social skills, but I seemed to have a learning disability in this area. I have had a hard time with this milestone...I used to be motivated to plan the party so I could hang out with the moms. Now it's actually going to be...WORK. But I do love planning a party, so it will be fun work. Arr, mateys.

(I'm not even sure Evan will be invited...this is the scene that ensued while I wrote this:)

Notice Sam's reaction to his little brother trying to have a turn with the Pirate costume. Sam's going to have to get a little thicker skin if he's going to be a tough-guy pirate. And then I think he'll make Evan walk the plank.

Catch Up

I've had inspiration for what could have been 3 blog posts...but just haven't found/made the time to work on them. I am a little proud of myself because it means I have been cleaning, hanging out with the family, finishing thank you notes, doing creative things with the kids (read making messes), and trying hard to not make my kids think that adults can just always ignore them while on the computer. I sometimes wonder if their hearts sink as I sit down here..."Oh no, now we get Zombie Mom" which probably turns to "What can we get away with? She never follows through when she's on the COMPUTER!" Hopefully less computer time has led to happier and more well-behaved kids. We'll see.

We got Sam back from Atlanta on Halloween. It was fun to see him...Jeremy and Evan stayed in Flagstaff to hand out candy to trick-or-treaters and Annie and I went to get Sam. I had been disappointed to miss trick-or-treating, but Sam asked if we could go in Phoenix, so we went to the neighborhood by some old friends' house. He was tired after about 6 houses, but he seemed happy and not too jealous that Annie stole everyone's attention in her frog suit (from Aunt Kendra).

The next day, we did all the stuff we missed on actual Halloween.


I felt like such a good mommy ("I should do crafts and activities like this EVERY DAY! This is what HOMESCHOOLING would be like!") and then I fell exhausted onto the couch and looked at the mess ("Okay, public school will be just fine.") In the course of 18 hours, Sam dressed up as Batman, Spiderman, and a ninja.
Evan would barely put on a helmet and carry a sword over to our neighbor's house to do some belated trick-or-treating (she offered it!), and threw them on the floor the minute he stepped inside her house. They were only a means to an end (candy) for him.
Annie's thinking, "Can that Spiderman please leave me alone?" or maybe, "Really Mom? The frog suit AGAIN?"

The next day, Evan drooled some red dye from a piece of candy on his shirt.
I thought it made a good Halloween costume, just a few days late. So that's what I'll tell him he dressed as for his 3rd Halloween--a 2 year-old with a mortal sword wound.

Now we are just catching up on life and I sure am enjoying my kids. I love when they're all wearing their sleeper pajamas...they're so cute and cuddly (and they all smell like pee).

(and of course the two pictures show what Evan thinks about having his morning t.v. show interrupted by Mom and her camera again.)

The other morning, I woke up to this:

(I'd tell you they both had Bibles, but that would sound like I'm trying to brag.)

Evan has now progressed from totally ignoring Annie to calling her "It" to calling her "Sam's little sister." I'm not kidding. He also has taken to calling Sam "Evan's brother" when he is tattling. And I think I hear things heating up between Annie's brothers now...so I'd better get back off the computer and engage.